Latest news with #NaturalCycles
Euronews
2 days ago
- Health
- Euronews
Exclusive: At-home spit test certified as a contraceptive in Europe
A new at-home spit test appears to be as effective as birth control pills at preventing pregnancy – and it will soon roll out across Europe, Euronews Health has learned. The device from Inne, a Berlin-based women's health tech company, has been available for years as a fertility-monitoring tool designed to help people boost their chances of pregnancy. Called Minilab, it works by tracking users' progesterone, the sex hormone that plays a role in fertility, via daily changes in their saliva. Now, Minilab can also be used to prevent pregnancy, after a small study showed the device was 92 per cent effective – about on par with birth control pills, but without any of the side effects. 'Progesterone can be used for conception or contraception,' Eirini Rapti, Inne's chief executive and founder, told Euronews Health in an exclusive interview. But 'there was no reliable saliva testing' on the market, she said. So Rapti and her team decided to create it themselves. The British Standards Institution, which reviews medical device manufacturers in Europe, certified Inne's Minilab this month, meaning it can now be sold as a contraceptive device as well as a fertility tracker. Inne plans to roll out the device in the European Union in September, with sales in the United Kingdom to follow. The device is part of a new wave of women's health apps that have gained steam in recent years by infusing tech into fertility awareness, in a bid to make these contraceptive methods more effective, scientifically rigorous, and personalised. Key competitors like Natural Cycles – which, in 2017, became the EU's first certified contraceptive app – rely on temperature readings to track hormonal levels. But Rapti said saliva, as 'hardcore biological data,' is more accurate because it isn't affected by, for example, having a fever or working up a sweat. Meanwhile, blood tests are considered the gold standard for hormone tracking, but some research indicates saliva could be a promising alternative because it is cheaper, faster, and can be done easily at home. The Minilab device is fairly easy to use. Around the same time each day, the user spits into a test strip and inserts it into a small, sleek device that measures their progesterone. That data feeds back into an app, which learns about their hormonal fluctuations over time. That allows it to identify their fertile window, or the approximately six days per month when they are most likely to get pregnant. 'It's similar technology to COVID tests with antibodies, or pregnancy tests,' Rapti said. In the company's observational study, more than 200 women in Germany used the Minilab for six months. They were advised not to have unprotected sex on days the app said they were fertile, and asked to record their sexual activity. Eleven women got pregnant, but two were excluded from the analysis for violating the study guidelines. Others had unprotected sex on days the app identified as high risk for pregnancy, Rapti said. 'We did not have a case where our system gave the wrong ovulation day, or the wrong fertile day,' Rapti said. The findings translate to an effectiveness rate of 92 per cent, meaning that if 100 women used the Minilab as a contraceptive for one year, eight could expect to become pregnant. That's about the same as birth control pills or the contraceptive patch, and more effective than condoms (82 per cent). But it's far less effective than non-hormonal intrauterine devices (IUDs), sometimes called copper coils (more than 99 per cent). Notably, the study – which has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed, academic journal – did not include a control or comparison group, so Inne can't definitively prove that the device is what prevented pregnancy. Other methods of birth control have also been researched for decades, which means it can be difficult to directly compare Inne's results. But if the findings hold up over longer periods of time and with larger groups of people, it would make Minilab equally effective as Natural Cycles, the only other app-based contraceptive on the European market. The approach is also not for everyone. Women should not use Minilab if they have irregular menstrual cycles or were pregnant or breastfeeding within the past three months, the company said. It said women interested in switching from a hormonal contraceptive – such as birth control pills or certain IUDs – should wait at least two months before starting Minilab to allow their hormones to return to natural levels. Minilab already has thousands of users in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, Rapti said. Eventually, she hopes to add testing for cortisol – the stress hormone – as well as testosterone and vitamins, to help women track their health throughout their lives, not only around pregnancy. 'If you have three or four years of data,' Rapti said, 'you can really start building some intelligence'. People who use cannabis or its synthetic cousin, cannabinoids, are twice as likely to die from heart problems as those who abstain from the drugs, new research has found. Recreational cannabis use remains illegal in most of Europe, but it is the region's most commonly used drug. An estimated 8.4 per cent of adults – 24 million people – used cannabis in the past year, according to the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA). Cannabis is generally stronger and more diverse than in past decades, with users having a choice between smoking marijuana, edibles, cannabis concentrates, and cannabinoids, which are synthetic psychoactive drugs with a high concentration of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in cannabis that makes people feel high. That has prompted concern about the potential health consequences of modern cannabis – and the new study, published in the journal Heart, is the latest to show they carry weight. In addition to the doubled mortality risks, cannabis use is tied to a 20 per cent higher risk of stroke and a 29 per cent higher risk of heart attacks or other types of acute coronary syndrome, which is when blood flow to the heart is severely restricted, the study found. The findings raise 'serious questions about the assumption that cannabis imposes little cardiovascular risk,' Stanton Glantz and Dr Lynn Silver, researchers at the University of California at San Francisco who were not involved with the study, said in a written comment. For the analysis, a French research team assessed real-world data from 24 studies conducted between 2016 and 2023. Most participants were between the ages of 19 and 59, and cannabis users were more likely to be younger and male compared with people who did not use the drug. Notably, most of the studies were observational, meaning researchers can't say that cannabis use causes heart problems directly. There was also a high risk of bias in most of the studies. More research is needed to understand exactly how cannabis is linked to heart problems, and whether the risks differ based on the type of cannabis someone uses. Despite the limitations, the study authors said their analysis is among the most comprehensive yet to probe the possible link between cannabis and heart problems in the real world. Glantz and Silver pushed for health warnings on cannabis products and protections against secondhand smoke exposure, particularly as countries relax their cannabis laws and the drug becomes more easily available. 'Cannabis needs to be incorporated into the framework for prevention of clinical cardiovascular disease,' they said.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The Dangerous Menopause Symptom Doctors Are Begging You Not To Ignore
Entering menopause isn't exactly fun. Hormonal shifts cause a number of uncomfortable symptoms as your body adjusts to this next phase of life. Hot flashes, mood changes and vaginal dryness are common symptoms women experience in perimenopause. Millions of perimenopausal women will still experience some menstrual bleeding. However, as you approach the end of your reproductive age, the ovaries produce less estrogen, which means your body might not release an egg each month. So your periods should get lighter and more irregular. Right? However, for 35% of perimenopausal women, the opposite occurs: they experience prolonged, heavy bleeding. This isn't a normal period, though. Known as menopause flooding, it's named for the relentless gush of blood that can feel impossible to control, and OB-GYNs urge anyone experiencing it to seek medical attention as soon as possible. Menopause flooding is a term used to describe the sudden, extremely heavy bleeding some women experience during perimenopause—often with little warning or predictability. , an OBGYN at UCHealth Cherry Creek Medical Center, says menopause flooding is officially defined as bleeding heavy enough to soak through a pad every two hours, more than twice in a row. It can also be when women can pass blood clots the size of a quarter or larger, adds , an OBGYN and the medical director of the birth control app Natural Cycles. 'Unlike a typical period, menopause flooding can feel more like a gushing flow and may last longer than usual," Dr. Krauss continues. "It can often be very distressing and cause embarrassment or shame." Related: The most common sign of menopause flooding is excessive, uncontrollable bleeding. This level of blood loss can also lead to fatigue, dizziness or weakness, says Krauss. If you experience faintness or persistent weakness, it could be a sign that the bleeding has caused anemia. Significant cramping or pelvic discomfort may also occur, particularly when menopause flooding is caused by underlying conditions like fibroids or adenomyosis (a condition in which the uterine lining invades the muscle wall). Related: Menopause flooding typically starts during perimenopause, which typically in someone's 40s to early 50s. According to Krauss, it's more common in the later stages of perimenopause when ovulation becomes more irregular, which can lead to unstable hormone levels and unpredictable bleeding patterns. Because menopause flooding is so unpredictable, it can be difficult to plan around—especially when it comes to leaving the house. Krauss says this uncertainty can cause significant anxiety and disrupt daily life. When it does occur, flooding typically lasts up to two weeks, though Krauss notes that bleeding can also happen intermittently over several weeks. Still, every situation is unique. Some may have just one or two episodes, while others deal with recurring flooding for months—or even years—during perimenopause. 'Bleeding can last for several hours or even weeks, and cycles may alternate between no periods for months and then sudden heavy bleeding,' Krauss explains. The good news? Menopause flooding should stop once a woman officially reaches menopause. If bleeding continues after that point however, Klaus recommends seeing your doctor immediately, as it may signal an underlying issue. Related: Before perimenopause, estrogen and progesterone levels remain relatively stable, and this organized hormonal pattern helps limit bleeding during each menstrual cycle. 'The lining of the uterus is shed, and then estrogen levels go up again, and that 'heals' the lining and restores its integrity, so bleeding stops,' Santoro explains. However, as the body transitions into menopause, estrogen and progesterone levels become unstable. Santoro says it's these hormonal swings—from high to low—that can trigger heavy bleeding. 'When estrogen is made in excessive amounts or it is too low for too long—both of which can happen during the menopause transition—the lining does not heal over properly and bleeding can continue,' she explains. Related: Another possible cause of heavy bleeding is when a woman stops ovulating regularly but continues to produce estrogen. This becomes a problem, Santoro says, 'because estrogen stimulates the uterine lining to grow, but regular progesterone exposure through ovulation is what stops that growth.' Not only can the excess estrogen cause menopause flooding, but Santoro adds that unchecked growth of the uterine lining can increase the risk of precancerous cellular changes. Fortunately, these abnormal hormone patterns only affect about one in eight women—and often result in just one heavy bleeding episode that doesn't repeat. Related: Fibroids, noncancerous growths in the uterus, and adenomyosis may also cause heavy bleeding during perimenopause. 'Black women in particular seem to be most adversely affected by fibroids, because they tend to have larger ones at an earlier age,' Santoro explains. 'When fibroids are exposed to variable estrogen levels during the menopause transition, they can break down and degenerate, or they can grow more rapidly, and both problems can result in heavy bleeding.' Related: First, schedule an appointment with your OBGYN to find a treatment plan for the menopause flooding. Santoro says a doctor's visit often involves an examination and an ultrasound test. Your doctor may also take a biopsy of the inner uterine lining to rule out hyperplasia or cancer. If menopause flooding is due to a hormonal issue, Krauss says your doctor may prescribe birth control or hormone therapy to correct estrogen and progesterone imbalances. If the issue is non-hormonal, options may include a clotting promoter medication called tranexamic acid (often under the brand name Lysteda). Doctors might also prescribe ibuprofen or another NSAID to reduce blood loss. Women may also be encouraged to take iron supplements to combat anemia. To help navigate the day-to-day challenges of menopause flooding, Krauss recommends the following strategies: Eating more iron-rich foods Using period-proof underwear or overnight pads Keeping emergency supplies in your purse and the car Remember, menopause is a natural part of life—but menopause flooding is not. 'Women should not suffer in silence,' Santoro says. 'Bleeding that causes repeated accidents is not normal.' Up Next:"Perimenopausal Bleeding and Bleeding After Menopause." The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. "Bleeding patterns during the menopausal transition in the multi-ethnic Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN): a prospective cohort study." Obstetrics & Gynaecology. Kerry Krauss, MD, OBGYN and the medical director of the birth control app Natural Cycles Nanette Santoro, MD, OBGYN at the UCHealth Cherry Creek Medical Center
Telegraph
28-01-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
I stopped taking the Pill because of social media – and then I got pregnant
'Congratulations!' said my manager, beaming, after I rushed to grab her in the corridor on my way into work and told her that I was pregnant. 'Not like that,' I said. Her face fell and she apologised. I had never been more embarrassed. But for a moment, it felt good to be seen as someone who was remotely ready to be a parent, instead of a person who had made an enormous mistake. I was 22 and two months into my first grown-up graduate job, at a big marketing company in London. I'd moved there from home in Leeds, and not long after that I met my boyfriend, Simon*, on a dating app. I'd been taking the Pill through the course of a previous relationship, but when that ended in 2021, I decided to stop. Reading online about the supposed side effects of the combined contraceptive I'd been taking had changed my mind about the little white Pill, which had been by my side throughout the whole of university. I was inundated with the same stories about the Pill that every woman my age sees on social media: that it drives Influencers I'd followed for years were suddenly plugging an app called Natural Cycles, marketed as a 98 per cent effective 'natural birth control' method that could predict a woman's chances of conceiving on a given day, using a temperature test. I never tried it myself, but when the ads came with lines like 'there are only five days in a month where a woman can get pregnant', the Pill started to look a bit old-fashioned – the sort of thing you'd take if you weren't up to speed on the latest science, and not really clued into 21st century feminism. A number of my friends started to come off the Pill, citing the same side effects I'd been reading about. What we were all seeing online caused an attitude shift too. In the 1960s when the Pill first came along, it was seen as a ground-breaking technology that gave women so much more opportunity and freedom. But we were the generation who were put on it by doctors as teenagers, because of period cramps or spots. With all its hormones and side effects, depression and I did feel better: after two weeks of nausea and turbo-charged anxiety, my brain felt sharper than it had in years, my mood lifted, and I lost half a stone in a month. I never stopped to question whether those changes might have been down to some sort of placebo effect, or wonder who profited from having influencers promote new When I met Simon a year and a half later, it crossed my mind that I should go back on the Pill, but I was hesitant. I felt better without it, I thought, and like the nausea I felt in the come-off period, I knew that at least a fortnight of unpleasant side effects would await me when I started the Pill again too. I was determined to shine in my new job, and didn't want anything to throw me off. Simon and I kept using condoms for the first few months that we saw each other, but then I started to rely on a period tracking app to determine when it was 'safe' for us to go without. At that point, I considered getting the implant in my arm, or the IUD coil, but I was put off by having another set of hormones pumping through my system again, and by needing to take an afternoon off work. (If I could get an appointment at all, that was. Even after weeks of serious searching, I couldn't find a clinic in London where I could get a copper coil fitted quickly. There's now been a national shortage of hormone-free copper IUDs and a 10-week waiting list to get one for more than two years). I'm sure it's not a shock to you that I ended up pregnant, but for me, it came as a total surprise. I'd never imagined that it would happen to me, despite the obvious risks I'd been taking with my health. The first couple of weeks of a pregnancy are much like the PMS symptoms I'd experienced in my time pill-free – cramping, nausea, bloating and fatigue – so at first, I tried to kid myself that everything was fine. But when my period was two weeks late (according to my tracker app) the potential that I was pregnant became impossible to ignore. Simon and I stopped at a Tesco Metro on our way home from a night out to buy a pregnancy test, kebabs in hand. I tried to be nonchalant about it, going home to take the test alone. The little blue cross that appeared on the strip brought me straight back into reality. I was 22, pregnant, living in a houseshare, stressed out of my mind in my first proper job, and in a relationship that had been 'official' for a matter of days. Having an abortion was an easy decision, because I obviously was nowhere near ready to become a parent. I was one of a huge number of young women caught in this position. Rates of abortion have climbed enormously in the last few years, reaching record highs in 2022 – that year there were 251,377 abortions in England and Wales, up 17 per cent on 2021. According to a BMJ When I found out I was pregnant, I realised that I could have been anywhere between four and eight weeks down the line, two shy of the legal time limit for having an at-home abortion by pill. If I wasn't quick, I might have to go to a clinic for a surgical abortion, a thought that horrified me. I soon learnt that there were enormous waiting lists for the compulsory assessment with a nurse needed to get a hold of abortion pills. It was unprecedented, receptionists at abortion clinics said, that there was such huge demand, and I could well end up going over the 10-week mark. Instead of having lunch with my new colleagues and networking, I spent every spare second ducking into meeting rooms and phone booths, frantically phoning clinics to see who could put me on their 'back-up list' for a call in case another woman cancelled. After a week, my phone rang. I took the call in the loo at a train station, with my finger jammed in my ear, as a sympathetic nurse read out a list of compulsory questions. Yes, I was sure. Yes, my boyfriend knew. No, we weren't using contraception. No, there was no way I could keep it, and no, I didn't want to come in for a scan. Three days later the pills arrived. To women my age, the ability to have a safe and legal abortion is the cornerstone of women's rights. I'd been told all my life – and fully believed – that a foetus is just a bundle of cells, and that having an early-stage abortion is no different to having a heavy period. It's no wonder then that plenty of young women like me would rather risk pregnancy than take the Pill. The physical and emotional reality of having an abortion could not have been more different to what I had expected. Having an abortion is extremely painful, even by Pill, and the whole experience was heart-rending. I never doubted that Simon would be there to support me, but I did believe that it would end our relationship, having such an awful thing smash-bomb our honeymoon phase. We're still together now, but we both still carry grief for the living thing we made together, too. I understand now why women older than me hold the Pill as having been revolutionary for women's rights. Having access to hormonal contraception has changed everything for our sex: real control over when we get pregnant has opened wide our opportunities in the world. It's not just the 'not-having-a-baby' as I've learnt the hard way, not having an abortion is something worth being protected from too. While I had always been (and still am) pro-choice, I wish that this was something more women my age understood. I'm on the Pill again now, and yes, I'm spottier and more fatigued. But after my abortion, I was deeply depressed, and it took more than a year of therapy to put me right. I don't think people should blame young women like me for wanting options that are better – we shouldn't have to choose between pregnancy and the very real side effects that come with the Pill. But I do think it's time we viewed this all more seriously. Take it from me: it's much less feminist to put influencers and an app in charge of your body than it is to use contraceptives. *Names have been changed
